Birthday Bliss: How a UAE community has made 7,500 birthday dreams come true

Dubai: On a recent Sunday afternoon, a group of adults and children were hard at work in a bustling indoor play area in Dubai. They were busy wrapping gifts, arranging catering, setting up music and decorating for a birthday party - but this celebration was for 13 children from families who had never been able to afford one. As families arrived, the room was filled with children who were experiencing something many of us take for granted - their very own birthday party.

This is the work of Birthday Bliss, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing birthday joy to children and hardworking laborers who may otherwise go without. The organization, founded by Iris Maria, also known as Mika or Mama Mika, has organized over 7,500 birthday celebrations across the UAE, Africa, Egypt, the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Pakistan.

Mika, originally from the Philippines and a mother of three, moved to the UAE 15 years ago in pursuit of a better life. As a single mother earning Dh2,500 a month, she learned to appreciate the value of shared joy. She started Birthday Bliss during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, inspired by her own experiences of missing traditional birthday celebrations.

Since then, Birthday Bliss has grown to involve hundreds of volunteers, each making it possible for children to experience the joy of their own birthday. Each celebration brings together 13 to 20 families, with every child receiving their own gift basket based on their birthday wish list, a birthday song, a photo, their own cake, and gifts. Mika's personal connection to the organization, rooted in her childhood experiences of sharing joy, ensures that each child receives the spotlight they deserve.